FIRST WORLD MALARIA DAY

That this House notes that malaria still afflicts 40 per cent. of the world's population and therefore welcomes the first World Malaria Day to be held on 25th April, which will involve malaria-stricken communities, governments of malaria-endemic countries, and international public and private organisations working together to fight malaria worldwide and to raise awareness of malaria; further notes that, although preventable and curable, malaria continues to infect more than 500 million people each year, killing over one million; further notes that although the burden of malaria is heaviest in sub-Saharan Africa, it also afflicts Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Europe; further notes that it will only be defeated through collaboration and co-ordinated action of all relevant actors on local, national, regional and international levels; further hopes the annual commemoration of World Malaria Day will encourage malaria-endemic countries and other stakeholders to learn from each other's experience and back each other's efforts to fight the disease efficiently; and therefore calls on the Government to review its efforts to collaborate with its international partners in tackling malaria.